The use of tax pass-through entities has become widespread and powerful both in the U.S. and internationally. The purpose of the course is to understand the rules that apply to S corporations, partnerships, REITs and other pass-through entities and how those entities are used, both domestically and internationally. The course will also consider the tax policy issues that pass-through entities raise. The questions are both broad (e.g., Why do we have so many pass-through entities? Why do the rules for each differ? What are the issues for different classes of investors? Is simplification possible?) and narrow (e.g., How is entity-level tax eliminated in the case of a REIT or a RIC? In the case of a REMIC? In the case of an S corporation?) This class meets from January 13, 2013 to January 30, 2014. In addition to class participation, there will be 2 hour open book exam.

The purpose of this course is to prepare students to understand the law and analyze the problems involved in protecting inventions under U.S. Patent Laws and in protecting trade secrets under the common law and the California Trade Secret Statute. Although the protection of state-of-the-art technology, including software and biotechnology, is included in portions of the course, technical or scientific expertise of the student is not a prerequisite.Note: May be applied as part of the six required credits for the Intellectual Property Concentration (JD).

This course examines the practical aspects of patent practice. Topics covered include a detailed review of patent prosecution, procedures before the US Patent & Trademark Office, and the requirements of Title 37 of the Code of Federal Regulations. In addition, the course discusses issues related to inventor interview techniques, development of an IP strategy for a client, and licensing issues. Ethical issues related to inequitable conduct, duty of candor, and proper representation of clients are addressed. Students will prepare a mock patent application for a simple invention, examine it, and respond to mock PTO Office Actions. Prerequisite: Intellectual Property Survey, or Patent Law. No technical background is required. Grade will be based on a final exam and work on a mock patent application.

The roles of the lawyer in society and the obligations implied in those roles are examined. Topics include disciplinary standards and procedures, the history and organization of the legal profession; avoiding conflict of interest; obligations to clients, the courts, and society, and conflicts presented by the adversary system for settlements of disputes; and responsibilities of lawyers as public servants and citizens. American Bar standards will be reviewed.

Property (Staff)LWAA530

4 credit(s)

Consideration is given, in both a historical and modern sense, to the rights and obligations that arise out of the legal ownership of possessory and non-possessory interests, tangible, and to a limited extent, intangible, personal, and real property. Areas covered include estates in land, landlord-tenant, conveyancing, land development, public and private control of land use, non-possessory rights in land, bailments, lost and misplaced property, gifts, and an introduction to gratuitous transfers of realty.

2-3 credit(s)Requirement: SkillsConcentration(s): Public Interest Law (JD), Environmental and Energy Law (JD), Children's Rights (JD), Environmental and Energy Law (LLMG)

2 or 3 credits - Year-long course Students study the substantive laws governing the functioning and decision making of state administrative agencies. These laws include the sunshine statutes which require most agency decision making to take place in public and guarantee public access to most agency records (the open meetings acts and the California Public Records Act) and the state Administrative Procedure Act, which governs the process agencies must follow to adopt regulations or take disciplinary action against the license of a licensee. Students also study important limitations on the power of agencies (including constitutional and antitrust limitations), and the functioning of the state legislature, which may enact, repeal, or amend the enabling acts of most agencies. As part of their coursework, students are assigned to monitor two California agencies; they travel all over the state to attend agency meetings, monitor and analyze their activities, interview agency officials and licensees, and track rulemaking, legislation, and litigation affecting their agencies. Twice during the year, students submit written reports on the activities of their assigned agencies. These reports are edited by CPIL professional staff and published, with attribution to the student author, in the Center's California Regulatory Law Reporter, the only legal journal of its kind in the nation; the Reporter is reprinted in full on Westlaw. Students wishing to take Public Interest Law and Practice should pre-register for the course. Public Interest and Practice is subject to a special application procedure or visit the CPIL’s offices (rear door of the LRC) for further information.

1-3 credit(s)Requirement: SkillsConcentration(s): Public Interest Law (JD), Environmental and Energy Law (JD), Environmental and Energy Law (LLMG)

Students who enjoy Public Interest Law and Practice frequently go on to take Public Interest Law Clinic, in which they may design their own writing or advocacy project related to regulatory or public interest law. In the past, these projects have included written critiques of agencies or agency programs; petitioning an agency to adopt regulations; drafting model legislation; participating in litigation to enforce the state's sunshine statutes; or submitting amicus curiae briefs on public interest issues pending appeal. Student critiques of publishable quality may satisfy USD's written work requirement. Students interested in Public Interest Law Clinic must secure a permission slip prior to pre-registration from Professor Julie D'Angelo Fellmeth at CPIL's offices. The clinic is graded on a 4-tier Pass-Fail basis.

Note: There are limitations on JD concentration eligibility. Please check the Environmental & Energy Law Concentration web page for more information.Additional Information:Environmental & Energy Law Concentration

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